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New police unit to patrol trails

Howard County is increasing its police presence on bike paths and walking trails. The new Pathway Patrol Section, comprised of seven officers on mountain bikes and electric motorcycles, will begin patrolling pathways and residential areas on Monday. The unit's officers will be able to patrol areas inaccessible to police cruisers or too large to cover by foot, police said. Columbia has more than 90 miles of bike paths and, throughout the rest of the county, there are an additional 100 miles.

Howard County is increasing its police presence on bike paths and walking trails. The new Pathway Patrol Section, comprised of seven officers on mountain bikes and electric motorcycles, will begin patrolling pathways and residential areas on Monday. The unit's officers will be able to patrol areas inaccessible to police cruisers or too large to cover by foot, police said. Columbia has more than 90 miles of bike paths and, throughout the rest of the county, there are an additional 100 miles.

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Updated: 6:30 PM EDT Aug 11, 2015

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WEBVTT DOING THESE ACTIVITIES AND ARE STEPPING UP THEIR PATROLS. WE GET THE STORY FROM 11 NEWS REPORTER LISA ROBINSON IN COLUMBIA. LISA THIS NEW PATHWAY PATROL : SECTION WILL PROVIDE YEAR-ROUND, HIGHLY VISIBLE POLICE PRESENCE ON PATHWAYS AND IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS. COLUMBIA HAS MORE THAN 90 MILES OF BIKE PATHS. THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE COUNTY, THERE ARE AN ADDITIONAL 100. WITH OFFICERS PATROLING ON BIKES AND NEW ELECTRIC MORTOCYCLES, THEY CAN COVER A LOT OF GROUND. WE'RE GOING TO ENFORCMENT -- DO IT ENFORCEMENT AND DO COMMUNITY OUTREACH, INTERACT WITH THE COMMUNITY, BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, AND ENFORCE THE LAWS AND HOPEFULLY PREVENT SOME CRIMES. LISA: RIGHT NOW, THE UNIT HAS SEVEN OFFICERS AND THEY HOPE TO , HAVE COVERAGE THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND EVENING HOURS. USING THE BIKES THEY ARE ABLE TO MANEUVER IN AREAS NOT EASILY REACHED WITH A POLICE CAR. AND THESE ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLES HARDLY MAKE A SOUND. THEY ARE FAST. THEY ARE QUIET. YOU REALLY DO NOT HEAR US COMING, SO THERE'S SOME ADVANTAGE THERE. THEY ARE FASTER THAN A BICYCLE, SO I THINK THAT IS AN ADVANTAGE, AS WELL. RESIDENTS SAY THEY ARE THRILLED TO HAVE THE POLICE PRESENCE ON THE BIKE PATHS AND WALKING TRAILS. I THINK THE PRESENCE THAT THEY SHOW OUT HERE WILL BE A GOOD THING. IF A DETER ANYBODY THINKING ABOUT THAT. FOR PEOPLE LIKE MY HUSBAND IT ALSO MAKES HIM NERVOUS TO KNOW I AM OUT WALKING BY MYSELF AND SO I KNOW IT IS DEFINITELY GOING TO PUT HIM AT EASE AND LET ME COME OUT AND GET MORE EXERCISE. LISA HOWARD COUNTY POLICE SAY : THIS IS NOT IN REPSONSE TO ANY SPIKE IN CRIME ON THE PATHWAYS AND THEY HAVE NOT SEEN ANY

New police unit to patrol trails

Howard County is increasing its police presence on bike paths and walking trails. The new Pathway Patrol Section, comprised of seven officers on mountain bikes and electric motorcycles, will begin patrolling pathways and residential areas on Monday. The unit's officers will be able to patrol areas inaccessible to police cruisers or too large to cover by foot, police said. Columbia has more than 90 miles of bike paths and, throughout the rest of the county, there are an additional 100 miles.